Decorticator



Nov. 27, 1951 E I T 2,576,166 DECORTICATOR Filed May 5, 1947 FIG. I

. JNVENTOR.

w E. WRIGHT I. a a v ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1951 l nEooR'rIoAroR William E. Wright; West Palm 'Beach, Fla'., as-

Signor to Sea Island Mills, 1110., New York, Y. A

Application May 3, 1947, Serial No. 745,786

V 11 Claims. (01.19-41) This invention relates to improvements in fiber decorticating apparatus and particularly to an improved decorticator of the character disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. #677,513! filed June 18, 1946, of which the present application is a continuation in part. 6

While the decorticator disclosed in my previous application has been tested and operated and has been found to be completely successful in operation, I have found that the operation or that portion which cleans the butt end portions of the fiber bearing plants is materially improved by the provisions of a moveable head cooperating with the butt end cleaning rotor.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide, in combination with a fiber decorticator as set forth, an improved fiber cleaning mechanism for cleaning the butt ends of plants such as ramie plants the improved mechanism comprising a cleaning rotor at the rear end of the decorticating machine, a head cooperating with the rotor, and mechanism for raising the head away from the' rotor and lowering it toward the rotor .in timed relationship with the operation with the mechanism of the remainder of the machine with this improvement the butt end portions of the. plants may be easily and effectively inserted by the mechanism between the head and the rotor while the head is spaced from the rotor and after the end portions of the plants have been so inserted between the head end and the rotor, the head will be lowered toward the rotor to hold the end portions of the plants firmly against the rotor while the other plant material is removed from the fiber content of these butt end portions of the plants.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration. of a decorticating machine of the character referred to in the above mentioned application. No. 677 ,537 showing the application thereto of improved end cleaning mechanism illustrative of the invention;

Fig. 2, an isometric view of the improved mechanism for cleaning the end) portions of plants passed through the decorticating machine;

' Fig. 3, an isometric view of a fragmentary portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 showing the mechanism in a dififerent operative position from that shown in Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4, a side elevation on a somewhat enlarged scale of the improved mechanism looking from the side of the machine opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

With, continued reference to the drawings, decorticator comprises a pluralityfyoi endless flexible members, such as link chains, arranged in an upper set ofonepair ofjchains inf a lower set of a pair of similar chains. fpne chaih, of the upper set isshown in Fig.1 and indicated at land a corresponding chain oi the lower 'set is indicated at H ilhese chains are supported on sprockets mountedon corresponding shaiits journalled in bearings supported by the machine frame in, a manner such that each" chain is held in a substantially rectangular shape, and ad'- jacent flights of corresponding upper andlower chains are juxtaposed along the entire length "of the machine. N i i Spaced apart transverse clamping bars extend between the two chains of each upper and lower set and are so positioned lengthwise of theichain's that a bar carried by the upperchain setf is superimposed upon a corresponding bar carried by the lower chain set throughout the juxtaposed intermediate chain flights. i J

Fiber bearing plants, s uch as ramie stalks, are fed, b,utt end first, into the machine through the feed slot 12 and are positioned so that the butt ends contact and are positioned by the pivoted plate [3, the end. portions of the plants: thus placed in the machine passing between shafts EQ and 15 on which are mounted chain sprockets supporting the chains at the beginning of the intermediatechain flights. I I i i The feed, slot is preferably filled with plant stalks having their butt ends resting against the plate l3 and a pair of transverse, stalk gripping bars,.as indicated at I6 and 11, pass around the chain sprockets carried by the shafts I4 and I5 and are forced together to firmly grip the bundle of stalks near the butt ends thereof. Thesebars are held together in stalk gripping relationship by suitable chain guides, not illustrated, dis: posed along the intermediate chain flights, and carryv thestalks through the various stages of the decorticating process wherein the plant material is broken up and removed fromthe fiber contents.

, As the stalks are dragged past the upper edge of the pivoted plate l3, the leaves, and top portions are stripped off. The stalks are then crushed by two sets of crushing rollers, as indicated at l8 and l9.s .Afterpassing through the crushing rollers thestalks are broken up by a reciprocating beater having an upper portion 20 and a vertically reciprocating blade 2| below the upper portion 20.

. The stalks are then carried through two scrap+ ing devices the first of which'has afiuted rotor 22 mounted. on a rotatable shaft below-theinte r,

chain flights and a movable head 25 positioned below the rotor 24.

Suitable mechanism is provided to lower head 25 to permit the passage of th e'pairs of clamping bars between this head and the rotor 24.

The above'described fiber cleaning devices are.

effective to remove all of the other plant material from the fiber content of the portions 6f the fiber bearing plant stalks which trail the corresponding pair of clamping-bars passing through the clean-ing devicesl The butt end'portions of the stalks; held by-t-he clamping bars, are crushed by the bars "but-are notcleaned by theaboveindicatedcleaning-devices" f 4 the pair "of cleaning bars approaches-the rear endof the machmaa pair 'otjaws '26- and 21; disposed one above and-one below theintermediate chain flights;-come together and grip the cleaned'fiber immediately-to the rear "Of the clamping bars; the bars pass aroundchain sprockets mountedon the shafts '28 and 2 9 they separate and-release the plane stalks and the stalks are then held by the-jaws 26 and 21--with the uncleaned butt end portions of the stalks ex- 1' tending from the jaws toward the rear'endof the machine. Suitably timedmechanism-including thercrank shaft 30, crank -3l, connecting link 32, cross head '33 and guidew-ays, as indicated at 34 and 35, is provided-to imparta longitudinal 1.1,

'cr'osshead and having a cam arm ellextending to the opposite side of the pivotal "connections from the member 2-6 and cooperating-with the roller 39 to open and close the-flaws -26 and 2-I.

When the jaws-215 an'dil'are moved rearwardly bers 48 and 49 which extend outwardly from the brackets 43 and 44 respectively at the ends of the rotor 40. Pivoted hinge members 56 and SI are pivotally connected to the vmembers 48 and 48 respectively by a through shaft 52 which serves as a hinge pin for the hinged construction which supports the cleaning head 42. l-lead d2 lies between the free end portions of the pivotally mounted hingedmembers and 5!" and has its ends secured to these members.

Standards 53 and 54 extend upwardly from the brackets 43 and 44 respectively and are provided adjacent their upper ends with suitable bearing aperturesfor a cam shaft 55 having eccentric eamsteanriti fixed thereon at locations substantially-above the corresponding ends of the cleaning head 42.

""Klinkmember 58 has an enlarged end portion surrounding the eccentric circular cam 58 and is pivotally connectedat i-ts opposite ends to the head 42 by 'suitablameans, such firs-"the pa-ir'of'pivot blocks 59 and 3E secured to-the top portion of the head 42-and vreceiving-a pivot pin which passesthroughthe-blocksand through the lower end of the link 58' to pivotally connect the link to the head; A similar link-6| has an enlarged upper end-portion surrounding the eccentric cam 51' and-hasaits lowerendportion pivotally connected to the head-4 2 by .theblocks 6-2 and-6-3 and the pi-vot pin 64. 1 It is apparent that with this arrangement r0.- tation of the shaft 55 andtheeccentric cams 56 and 5? will act through the links 53 and BI .to lower the head-42 toward therotor rid-and raise the head away from the rotor. V I 4- V A crank arm-- is secured onone end of the shaft and carries a crankpinfili upon which is rotatably mounted an end fitting-B11129 which the corresponding end of a coiled .tension spring 68 is connected Theoppositeend of thespring is connectedby a suitablehooklfifi ton fixed ma: chine-frame element 3lt. lAngearwll isfixed on the opposite-:endnf shaiti5firontsideioithestande ard 54 and ismrovidiedxwith.:spur teeth which mesh with the'teeth;of:'a sectorlgear 12 mounted on an axle 413 andlprovidedmvithflan upstanding lever 14 the upper .endhofs-whic h is-anertured to receive a pivot pin 15 by means of: which, One

of-the machine, the butt end portions ofthe stalks are moved rearwardly until they passover a fluted cleaning roller lt'mounted-on a shaft 4! suitably journalled on the machineframe at-th'e rear end of the machine. 'A- cleaning head 42 cooperates with the fluted rotor' -lfl to remove i i otherplant material from the fiber-contents of the butt endportions of the plant stalks as the stalk end portions are fed between the rotor and the head and withdrawn therefrom by the re.- ciprocating moveme'ntjdf the jaws 26 and 2].

The mechanism so far described is fully .disclosed in my 'copen'ding application Serial #677,537 to which reference may be' h'ad for a detailed description of the mechanism In the mechanism of the copendingzapplication, the head42 is supported in a substantially fixed position relative to the rotor .40 on suite able brackets carried rearwardly from the ma-. chine frame.

In theimproved arrangement however, bracket members 43 and 44 connected tomachine. frame components 45 and 46 at opposite sides of *the machine Within the pillow blocks-,one of which is indicated'at 41, in which shaft a4l-isjournalled, are "apertured forthe passage of shaft :41 there-1 through and carry apertured lugs 01: hinge meme end of a link member 16 is connected. to, the sec tor gear lever. A slot His provided in .theopposite end portion .Ofli-Ilk 15. and slidablylliqqeiyes a pin 18 secured .to ;ani ex tensionrlfi extending upwardlyfrom the jaw memhe l all Reciprocating vmovement of the-jaw member 3? will move the pin thronghcthe lostmo-tion con: nection slot Fifi and whenthe pin reaches either end of this slot .will move the link, 15.119 rotate the shaft 555 through tthewconnection provided by the gear H and sector gear 12.

A rotatable lever 8n isii-xerl son. the sha fitn55 between thecra-nk arm and. the standard 53 to provide .a convenient means for limiting rota; tional movement of thecam shaft. This levergll has'an offset :end portion .89 zoverlyin the upp end of the-standard .513 an adjustable stop, in the form ofv a set; screw Bl, extends through this, offsetportion 10f; thei'leverl w c When the leverlet isin .the position illustrated in .Fig. .2athe head 42 is iraisedcawi iy irons. h rotor 46. In this :position of theparts the-under surface of thezofisetlpontion 811; of; the leyer-BO rests upon an abutment surface .1 ro ded 011 th upp nd. of 1 th standard-5i t d e t tively limits the rotational moyement ofthe shaft in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 2

stated above, when the parts are in this relative position the head 42 is raised away from the rotor 40; at the same time, the crank 65 is in a past dead center position relative to the line of force of the spring 68 so that the tension of the spring acts to hold the under surface of the offset portion of lever 80 firmly against the abutment surface 82 of the standard 53.

Assuming now that the members supporting the jaws 26 and 2'! are actuated to move the jaws toward the end cleaning rotor 40, during the first part of the travel of these jaws the pin 18 will. slide along the slot 11 for. the length ofsthe slot. During this part of the movement of the jaws the head 42 will be raised above the rotor 40 and the butt ends of the fiber bearing plants will be fed by the jaws into thespace between the end cleaning rotor andcorresponding head. The length of the slot 1! is such however that, before the jaws reach the end of their travel toward the end cleaning rotor, thepin 18 will contact the right hand end'of slot 11 as viewed in Fig. 1. When this occurs link 15 will be moved to swing the arm 14 of sector gear 12 about its pivotal axis 13 and impart rotation to the spur gear H. The spur gear H is rotated a sufficient amount to move the crank 65 in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, to the opposite side of its dead center position relative to the spring 68 from the position shown in Fig. 2. The spring 68 will then contract and rotate the crank 65 together with the cam shaft 55 through a portion of a revolution determined by the lever 80. This spring induced rotation of shaft 55 is such as to move the lever 80 from the position illustrated in Fig. .2. to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the innerend of the adjustable set screw 8| comes in contact with the adjacent side of the standard 53. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the head 42 will have been lowered to its operative position adjacent to the rotor 40 to press the ends of the plant stalks firmly against the cleaning rotor.

The time of contact of pin 18 with the right hand end of slot Tl, as viewed in Fig. 1, is near the end of the movement of jaw members 25 and 21 toward the end cleaning rotor 40. As the movement of the jaws is reversed and the ends of the plant stalks are withdrawn from between the rotor 40 and head 42, the pin 18 will travel back through the length of slot Tl and during this portion of the travel the head will be held in its lowered position adjacent to rotor 40 by the spring 68. As the jaws approach their limiting position remote from the rotor 40 the pins 78 will contact the left hand end of the slot 11, as viewed in Fig. 1, and swing the arm 14 to rotate shaft 55 in the opposite direction back to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the head 42 is raised away from the corresponding rotor.

A suitable buffer 83, in the formof a block of rubber, or other suitable resilient material, is secured to the standard 53 in the path of arm 80 so that the arm will strike this buffer in mov-- ing to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, just before the end of set screw 8| strikes the side. of the standard 53 thereby reducing shock and noise incident to the operation of the device.

Adjustable stops in the form of set screws 84 and 85 extending through the hinged members 53 and 5! respectively are provided to adjustably control the distance between the surface of head 42 adjacent the rotor and the outer surface of rotor 40 when the head is in its lowered position.

The lower ends of these set screws may bear upon suitable abutments provided on the corresponding fixed. hinged members 48 and 49, the abutment for the screw 84 being indicated at 86 in Fig. 2.

The timed movement of the end cleaning head toward and away from the end cleaning rotor, as provided by the mechanism hereinabove described, greatly facilitates the cleaning of the butt end portions of the fiber bearing plant stalks. and insures that all of such butt end portions will be cleaned whereas with the fixed head ar rangement it is possible for some of the plant butt end portions to strike the head and be turned aside from entering the cleaning space between the end cleaning head and rotor. With the improved construction the possibility of the presence of uncleaned plant portions in the fiber removed from the machine is substantially eliminated.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a decorticating machine having means operative to grip the butt end portions of the fiber bearing plants and remove other plant material from the fiber content of the portions of said plants extending from said butt end gripping means; means for regripping said plants upon release thereof by said butt end gripping means to present the butt end portions of said plants to fiber cleaning means, and a fiber cleaning rotor and a cooperating rotor head positioned to receive the butt end portions of plants presented by said regripping means and remove other plant material from the fiber content of the plant butt end portions; means operative to move said head away from said cleaning rotor to permit the plant butt end portions to enter freely into the space between said head and rotor and to move said head toward said rotor to hold said plant portions against said rotor for cleaning comprising head supporting hinge means having an axis spaced from the axis of said rotor; a shaft rotatably supported above said rotor and having eccentric cams thereon, links pivotally connected to said head operatively connecting said cams with said head, and means operative to rotate said shaft and cams including a crank arm secured to one end of said shaft; a tension spring connected at one end to said crank arm and at the opposite end to a fixed member, stop means connected to said cam shaft to hold said shaft in one operative position with said head raised fromatropine 7: camshaft'whereby'lowering movement of said head may be limited.

2.. Ina decorticating machine having means. operativeito clamp the butt end. portions of fiber bearing plant stalksfed into one end of the machine and carry said plant stalks tothe. opposite end of the machine, cleaning means operatively disposed between the ends of said machine to remove all other-plant material from the fiber content of the plant stalk portions extending from the clamping means, machine carried reciprocatory means operative to grip cleaned fiber por tions of said plant stalks: when the stalk butt end portions are released by said clamping means,

means operative to clamp. the butt. end portions:

of fiber bearing plant stalks and carry said stalks in continuously clamped condition past fiber cleaning devices, an end cleaning device comprising a cleaning rotor and associated head for cleaning the butt end portions of the plant stalks; and reciprocating jaw means operative to grip the plant stalk portions when released by' 'said clamping means and present the butt end-portions of said stalks to said end cleaning device; means for moving said end cleaning rotor head towardand away from said end cleaning rotor in timed relationship to the reciprocatory movement of said jaw means comprising a pair of fixed brackets disposed: one at each side of said machine opposite the ends of said head; hingemeans supporting said. head for movementtoward and away from said associated rotor; cam means supported by said brackets adjacent said head; means operatively connecting said cam" means with said head; spring. means operative to turn said cam means be tween two limiting operative positions in one of which said head is raised away from said rotor and in the other of which said head: is: disposed in fiber cleaningposition adjacent said rotor; and alost motion connection between said cam means and said jaw means operative'to control the cam turning operation of said spring means in accordance with the reciprocatory' movements of said jaw means;

4. In a fiber decorticating machine having means operative to clamp the butt end portions:

of fiber bearing plant stalksiand carry said stalks in. continuously clamped icondition past fiber cleaning devices, an endcleaning'device comprising acleaning rotor and associated head for cleaning the butt end portions of. the plant.

stalks; and reciprocatingjaw means operative to grip the plant-stalk portions when released by said clamping means and present the butt end portionsof said stalks. to said end cleaning. de-

vice; means for moving said end cleaning rotor means guiding said headfor movements toward and away from said rotor-j head moving means nection between said head moving means and 3 said jaw means operative to initiate actuation of said head moving means in accordance with the reciprocatory movements of said jaw means.

5; a fiber decorticating machine having means operative to clamp the butt end portions of fiber bearing plant stalks and carry said stalks in continuously clamped condition past fiber cleaning; devices,- an end cleaning device comprising: a cleaning rotor'andassociated head for cleaning the butt end portions of the plant stalks; and. reciprocating jaw means operativeto grip. the" plant stalk portions when releasedby said clamping means and present the butt end portions of said stalks to said end cleaning device; means for moving said end cleaning rotor head toward and away from said end cleaning rotor in:- timed. relationship to the reciproca'tory movement of said jaw means comprising a pair of. fixed brackets disposed one at each side of said machine opposite the ends of said head; means guiding said head for movement toward and away from said rotor; head moving means carried by said brackets adjacent said head com-'- prising a: shaft journali'edin said brackets, .ec-' centric cams on said shaft between said brackets. pivoted. links connecting said cams with said head; a. crank arm on one end of said shaft and a gear on the opposite'end thereof spring means operatively connected with said crankarm to rotate said shaft and said came to thereby move said head: toward and away from said rotor; and. means operatively connecting said jaw means to." said shaft through sai'd'gear. to ini tiate rotation ofsaid'shaft in timed relation-- ship to'- reciprocatory movements of said jaw means.

6. In a fiber decorti'catin'g machine having. means operative to'clamp the butt end portions of. fiberbearing plant stalks and carry said stalks in continuously clamped condition past fiber" cleaning devices, an end cleaning device com prising a cleaning rotor and associated head for cleaning the butt end portions of the plantstalks; .andreciprocating jaw means operative" to. grip the plant stalk portions when released by" said cl'amping means and present the butt end portionsof said stalks to said end cleaning device meansfor moving said end cleaning'rotor head toward and away from said end cleaning rotor: in timed relationship to the reciprocatory movement of said jaw means comprising a pair of fixed brackets disposed, one at each side'ofsaid machine opposite the ends of said head;

means. guiding said head formovements toward, and away from said rotor, head moving means,

including a cam shaft carried by said brackets adjacent said rotor; spring means operatively connected to said: cam shaft to imparthead moving rotational movements thereto and means operatively connecting said jaw means and said cam shaft to initiate rotational move ments of said cam shaft in: timed relationship to the reciprocatory' movements of said jaw means comprising a gear on said cam shaft, a second gear pivoted on the bracket at the corresponding end of the cam shaft and meshing with-said cam: shaft gear; a lever arm secured to said secondgear; a link pivotally connected at one end tosaid lever armand provided in its opposite end portion with an elongated slot; and a pin fixed to said jaw means and slidable in said slot, said slot being of a length such that said pin imparts gear turning movement to said link at each end of the reciprocatory movemen of said jaw means.

7. Decorticating apparatus for cleaning the fiber content of fiber bearin plant stalks comprising cleaning means operative to clean the fiber except for the butt end portions of the stalks and means operative to clean the fiber in the butt end portions; feed means for feeding said butt end portions into said end cleaning means; and means operative by said feed means and in timed relation thereto to adjust said end cleaning means for the reception of butt end portions fed thereto by said feed means.

8. Decorticating apparatus comprising means for holding fiber bearing plant stalks; fiber cleaning means movable relative to said holding means; means comprising a rotor and correspondin head disposed at the rear of the apparatus and constructed to clean the fiber content in the butt end portions of the stalks; a second holding means for holding said stalks during cleaning of the butt end portions, said second holding means being movable relative to said rotor and head to feed said butt end portions thereto and means operative to produce relative movement between said head and said rotor in timed relationship to the relative movement of said second holding means to facilitate feeding of the butt end portions of the stalks between said rotor and head.

9. Decorticating apparatus comprising means for holding fiber bearing plant stalks; fiber cleaning means movable relative to said holding means to clean the fiber content of plant stalks; means comprising a rotor and corresponding head at the rear of the apparatus to clean the fiber content of the butt end portions of the stalks; resilient means operative to produce relative movement between said head and said rotor to facilitate feeding of the butt end portions of plant stalks therebetween; and means operated by relative movement of said holding means and cleaning means for said butt end portions to control the actionof said resilient means in timed relationship to the relative movement of said holding means and cleaning means for said butt end portions.

10. Decorticating apparatus for cleaning the fiber content of fiber bearing plant stalks comprising cleaning means operative to clean the stalks except for the butt end portions thereof; end cleaning means including a rotor and head arranged to clean the butt end portions; and means operatively connected with said end cleaning means to separate said rotor and head for the admission of stalk butt end portions therebetween, and to close said rotor and head for cleaning the butt end portions of the stalks.

11. In decorticating apparatus for cleaning the fiber content of fiber bearing plant stalks and comprising fiber cleaning means operative to clean the fiber content of the stalks except for the butt end portions thereof, end cleaning means for cleaning the fiber content of the butt end portions of the stalks after the other portions thereof have been cleaned, and reciprocating feed means operative to feed the plant butt end portions into said end cleaning means and withdraw them therefrom; means operative by said feed means and in timed relation thereto to adjust said end cleaning means for the reception of plant stalk butt end portions comprising cam means operatively connected with said end cleaning means, resilient means operatively connected with said cam means, and timing means operatively connected between said reciprocating feed means and said cam means.

WILLIAM E. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 806,429 Remirez Dec. 5, 1905 1,937,794 Selvig Dec. 5, 1933 2,423,425 Lundgren July 1, 1947 

